Tim Larsen for The New York Times Brett Favre completed 5 of 6 passes for 48 yards and a touchdown in his Jets debut.
By JUDY BATTISTAEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The touchdown pass proved that Brett Favre still prefers to throw to tight ends in the red zone. And the little fake jump pass was Favre reaching back into his personal highlight reel. But the most important play of his eagerly awaited debut for the Jets, the one that proved that Favre really might change everything for his new team, might have came earlier, on his first drive.
After Washington Redskins linebacker Marcus Washington sacked Favre on a blitz for a 10-yard loss, Favre popped up off the ground, guard Alan Faneca straightening his shoulder pad for him. Last season, the Jets became used to Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens struggling to their feet, battered and bruised behind a gruesome offensive line. But Favre is football’s ironman and his legendary durability, nearly as much as his arm, allow the Jets to hope that even a 38-year-old future Hall of Famer in the twilight of his career can transform a team.
The Jets lost to the Redskins, 13-10, but more than the result, this game represented an important milestone for Favre and for a franchise that desperately needs him to feel at home. And fast.
“It was like starting all over again,” Favre said. “I had some feelings I haven’t felt in 17 years. It was a little weird. For the most part, I felt comfortable in this uniform. I had a number of people, mostly in Redskins uniforms, saying it don’t look right. It’s going to start looking right. It was a little awkward, but I knew we had to get through that.”
The arm looked fine, and afterward, Favre said it felt great, even though he had complained during the week that it felt tired. He took 14 snaps Saturday, completing 5 of 6 passes for 48 yards, including a 19-yard bullet on third down to Jerricho Cotchery on the deep left side — Favre said it was his favorite play of the night — and a 4-yard touchdown pass to the rookie tight end Dustin Keller.
When Favre moved the offense close to the end zone, camera flashes went off, a sight more often seen in the postseason than the preseason. And when Keller scored, half-full Giants Stadium — even Favre apparently can’t draw people back from the shore for a preseason game — erupted, and Favre was engulfed by his new teammates. After the game, Favre signed the touchdown ball and gave it to Keller.
“I felt like I threw the ball well,” Favre said. “Ten days ago, I was doing yard work. I’d be lying if I said I felt perfect out there. I wanted to get this game over with. It was a positive anxiety, a positive nervousness. It’s better than not having any feeling at all.”
Favre and Coach Eric Mangini had most hoped to see that Favre could smoothly operate the offense all the way down to being able to break the huddle and call the play without trouble. After exactly one week of practice, Favre still does not know much of the playbook — he had about 40 plays total in his arsenal Saturday — and he cannot remember everybody’s name, but even under a full moon, there were none of the mishaps the Jets feared. He gave way to Clemens with the Jets leading, 7-3, and many in the crowd left with him.
Favre played just two drives, and a better read on his readiness for the regular season will have to wait until Saturday against the Giants, when he will probably play at least a half, the longest stretch of work he is likely to get before the season opener Sept. 7 at Miami. Favre said he would play as long as Mangini allowed him to against the Giants, adding that he had actually hoped to play longer Saturday.
But considering that he had done little more than throw to a high school team since his first attempt at retirement five months ago, Favre seemed surprisingly crisp, his only incompletion coming when an off-target short pass to Thomas Jones fell to the turf.
“It’s important to give him a comfort level coming into the game,” Mangini said. “I thought it was an excellent start.”
Clemens, who 10 days ago was competing for the starting job, was 5 of 12 for 63 yards, and he did not lead the Jets to a score. (Brett Ratliff did, going 13 for 19 for 148 yards and setting up Mike Nugent’s 43-yard field goal.)
The Jets acquired Favre in part to invigorate an offense that had been moribund last year, no matter who the quarterback was. Favre’s quick connection with Cotchery seemed to suggest that he will become Favre’s preferred deep target, an element of the offense that was largely absent last season.
But the Jets also wanted Favre because he adds instant excitement to a team that usually struggles for attention. Fans on Saturday wore new Favre jerseys — next to those wearing Vinny Testaverde, Chad Pennington and even Glenn Foley jerseys, testimony to how many quarterbacks the Jets have cycled through while Favre was building his résumé in Green Bay.
“I’m not going to say I haven’t second-guessed the decision,” Favre said. “When I step on the field, as I did tonight, I knew I made the right decision. I feel like I’m a Jet. Does that sound awkward or funny? Maybe. It’s still a little bit awkward. But I feel like I’m here for a reason.”
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